The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-04-08
HENRY WARD BEECHER.

night.
HENRY WARD BEECHER.
KENOSHA BUSINESS MEN.
JAMES MATHEWS.
Mr.. James Mathews is a native of
ireland, county of Meath, village of
Slane on the river Boyne-of historic
fame. He came to America in 1913,
and worked at his Understanding
at Sing Sing, about a mile from the
prison of that name. Mr.. Mathews
came to Kenosha in 1849, and went to
work at his trade for Mr.. James Riley,
in the little brick building east of Head
& Suherland's office on Market street.
In 1850 he bought Mr.. Riley out, and in
852moved into store in the Mansion
House block, occupying one side of the
store as shoe shop, the other side be-
ing occupied by Thomas Moore as a
candy shop. In 1854 Mr.. Mathews sold
out the shoe business to Mr.. John Hogan
and bought Mr.. Moore's candy business.
lie continued in the candy and toy bust
ne IS in the same place until 1857, wher
he moved into wooden building thai
stood on the ground where he is now
located, and added the grocery business
to the other lines. In 1868 the building
he occupied was destroyed by fire, to-
gether with two other buildings, and Mr.
Mathews opened temporarily in the
room where John Funck is now. A
short time after this he removed to the
store now occupied by Mr.. M. Craney
During the same year of the fire brick
building was erected on The ground oil
his former store, and he moved into it.
In 1878 he sold out to his son, Frank
W., and William O'Brien. Mr.. Mathews
then worked a farm till 1882, when he
bought out the firm of Mathews &
OBrien, and again opened in the grocery
confectionery and toy lines at the old
stand, where he is still to be found, ready
to show goods, sell goods or talk of old
times.
In 1886 Mr.. Mathews disposed of al
his old stock and purchased new and
carefully selected stock of groceries
canned goods, confectionery, nuts, fruit
and fishing tackle. He deals quite
largely in farm produce-prime butter
being a specially. Mr.. Mathews occu
pies store 20x80 feet, which is filled
with as choice goods in his lines as are
to be found in the city.
Mr.. Mathews is man who has had g
varied business experience-who has
worked himself up step by step, with a
few OF the vicissitudes that are ever at.
tendant upon mercantile pursuits, but
against whom no man can bring a word
Of reproach.
TONER & GAFFNEY.
Daniel Toner'S native place was in
Oneida county, N. Y. He came to Ke-
nosha county, town of Paris, in 1916, al
the age of two years. His father died
when Daniel was eight years old and
the boy stayed on his mothers farm I'M.
til he attained his majority. Mr.. Toner
then went to Minnesota, staying there a
year and a half and coming back to
Kenosha county, III 1866, bought the old
Pat Lane farm. He remained on his
farm, working the same with success fol
fifteen years. In 1881 he quit farming.
came to Kenosha and bought q lot on
Park street, just west of the Meyers
House, where he erected the building
now occupied by Messrs. Craney &
Pierce. Mr.. Toner entered into partner
ship with Mr.. HI. R. Lavey, and the firm
of Toner & Lavey commenced business
as dealers in agricultural implements
and supplies. In 1885 Mr.. Toner sold
out his interest in the implement bust
ness to Mr.. w. J. Craney and entered
into co-partnership with Mr.. John Calf:
ney in 1886.
Mr.. John Gaffney is native Of Sligo
county Sligo, Ireland. He came tc
America in 1858, and lived in Liberty
vile, Illinois, one year, then in Benton
two years, working at farming. Mr.
Gaffney came to Kenosha in 1861 and
went to work for Mr.. q. G. Simmons
with whom he remained seventeen
years. In 1878 he left Mr.. Sim mons
services and set himself up in business
as teamster. In 1881 the firm of Brown
& Gaffney was formed, and the firm
opened a grocery in the store where
Chas. G. Theleen is now. In 1885 Mr..
Gaffney sold out to Mr.. Brown and went
into partnership with Mr.. Daniel Toner
The firm of Toner & Gaffney was or
gained in 1886, and their stock of goods,
" fresh from the minJ," was placed on
sale in the store they are now occupying,
No. 2 Kimball Block. They carry a
very fine and varied stock of the best
the market affords in their lines-grocer-
les, flour, feed, crockery. glassware, etc.
The gentlemen of this firm have risen
to their present satisfactory standing in
trade and business by their own indi-
vidual efforts-by hard work and un-
flinching perseverance. They occupy
a store 20x84 feet, we'll filled, and are
doing very successful and constantly in-
creasing business.
BERNARD LA MARSH.
Mr.. La Marsh is native of Stadt Kill,
Prussia, and when he was eight years of
age his parents came to America and
located in! Chicago in 1856. In 1870,
young Bernard, then % years old, and
from youth on being fond of military
life-also wishing to manifest his patriot
ism and love for his adopted country
enlisted as drummer boy in the regu-
lar army, and was located most of the
time Of his service at Fort Wingate, in
New Mexico. In the meantime his
parents had moved to Kenosha. In
1878, having been honorably discharged
from the army, he came to Kenosha and
went to work for Adolph Burg. In
1875, Mr.. La Marsh went into the SER
vices of Mr.. A. F. Wells-then located
on Main street, just north of the U. S.
Express building-to learn the art of
photography, where he remained three
and then went to Marseilles, Ill.,,
and bought a photograph gallery, and
run the business for a year and a half
He then sold his Marseilles gallery, and
spent two months in the J. Stefens'
gallery in Chicago, to perfect himself in
his chosen profession. In 1877 he re-
turned to Kenosha and opened photo
graph gallery over John Mindermann's
yrooarv where the Maisnr Rrothers arc